Lint filter



Mmh 3, 1970 w. A. ENGLISH ETAL LINT FILTER Filed Dec. 26, 1967 United States Patent O 3,498,087 LINT FILTER William A. English, Export, and Leonard A. Spoelman,

Irwin, Pa., assignors to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Dec. 26, 1967, Ser. No. 693,421 Int. Cl. D06f 39/10; Bd 33/06 US. Cl. 68-18 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A filter for removing lint from the water recirculated in a washing machine. The filter is characterized in that it is mounted on a stationary support but is adapted to be rotated by the recirculating water in order to ball the lint and to cause the balled lint to be carried to the marginal portion of the bottom wall of the filter.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates, in general, to clothes washing appaartus and, more particularly, to means for removing lint from the wash or rinse water circulated through the machine.

Stationary lint filters and those mounted for movement on the agitator are common expedients for removing lint from the wash or rinse water. This is accomplished by passing a stream of Water through the filter and back into the tub. Filters of the type noted quickly lose their ability to remove lint from the Water due to lint build-up in the perforations thereof which perforations are conventionally in the bottom wall of the filter, the primary reason for the build-up being due to the stream of water impinging on the bottom wall of the filter at approximately the same angle and approximately in the same area, particularly in the case of the stationary filter.

Accordingly, it is the general object of this invention to provide a new and improved washing machine.

It is a more particular object of this invention to provide a new and improved filter for removing lint from the wash or rinse water used in washing machines.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briefly, the above-cited objects are accomplished by providing a cylindrical filter chamber loosely supported on a pivot point of a stationary support. The chamber is, therefore, free to rotate with a minimum amount of friction being developed between it and the support. The chamber is supported in an area of the washing machine where the water inlet to the tub can emit a stream of water thereinto; the stream of water having a tangential component which serve to rotate the chamber due to the frictional drag of the water on the chamber bottom wall or filter bed. The rotation of the chamber causes the lint to be moved in essentially two directions, namely, circumferentially and radially to the outer edge of the filter bed where a minimum of obstruction is presented and where the lint is readily removable by the user because of its balled condition.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent when considered in view of the following detailed description and drawings forming a part hereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of a clothes washing machine incorporating the invention;

Patented Mar. 3, 1970 FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of a lint filter' and support therefor forming a part of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings especially FIG. 1, reference character 10 indicates generally a clothes washing machine having cabinet structure comprising a front wall 11, side walls 12 and a top wall 13. A back splasher panel 14 carried by the top wall 13 supports a control (not shown) actuated by a control knob 16.

The machine 10 comprises an outer stationary tub 17 supported on a bottom wall 18 by support channels 19 and coil springs 21. Disposed within and oriented concentrically with the outer tub 17 is an inner tub 22 adapted for movement by means of a transmission 23 supported on a transmission support dome 24.

Power is transmitted to the transmission 23 from a drive motor 26 via a transmission pulley 27 and a drive belt 28. The motor 26 also drives a recirculating pump 29, the output of which is directed into the inner tub 22 through a recirculating hose 31 which has a terminal portion 32 which is inclined relative to a plane passing through and parallel to the top wall 13. The purpose of the inclination will be discussed hereinafter.

A circular splash guard 33 is supported indirectly by the outer tub 17 by means of a top cap member 34. The member 34 has a vertical wall 36 provided with a pair of spaced apart tenons 37 adapted to be received in a conventional manner in a pair of spaced apart channels 38 of a support structure 39.

The support structure 39 shown schematically in FIG. 3 comprises a lower wall 41 joined to a vertical rear wall 42. A post member 43 carried by the bottom wall 41 is provided with a conical terminal portion 44 which forms a pivot point on which a lint filter structure 46 is supported for rotation beneath the terminal portion 32 of the recirculating hose 31.

The filter structure 46, as shown in FIG. 2, has a cylindrical configuration and comprises an imperforate vertical annular wall 47 and a perforate bottom wall or bed 48 having a plurality of apertures 49. A sleeve 51 having a conically shaped close top end 52 and an open bottom end 53 (see FIG. 3) is affixed to the bottom wall 48 in a position centrally thereof. The post member 43 is received in the sleeve 51 such that the conical portion 44 of the post member engages the underside of the conical end 52 of the sleeve 51. As shown schematically in FIG. 3, the terminal portion 32 is inclined relative to the bottom wall 48 so that the stream of water emitted therefrom has a tangential component which impinges on the bottom wall 48 and is effective to cause the filter to spin about the post 43.

Since numerous changes may be made in the above described apparatus and different embodiments of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

We claim as our invention:

1. Clothes washing apparatus comprising: cabinet structure, a spin tub having a top opening and supported within said cabinet structure, water recirculating structure including a hose having its outlet end positioned adjacent said top opening, filter structure supported adjacent said top opening at least during operation of said washing machine, said filter structure including a stationary support member and a rotatable member, said rotatable mem- 3 ber comprising substantially vertical imperforate wall means and a substantially horizontal perforate wall for passing water and trapping lint, said outlet end being disposed at an acute angle relative to said substantially horizontal wall whereby water emitted therefrom and impinging on said horizontal wall has a component tangential thereto which causes said rotatable member to spin.

2. Structure as specified in claim 1, wherein said rotatable member comprises a sleeve carried centrally of said horizontal wall and said support comprises a post element received in said sleeve member and supporting said rotatable member for rotation.

3. Structure as specified in claim 2, wherein said post .4 element has a conical end portion engaging a similarly shaped closed end portion of said sleeve member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS" 2,481,979 9/1949 Colley 6818 2,608,952 9/1952 Herbert 210-1 67 XR 3,048,993 8/1962 Lucas et a1. 6817 10 ROBERT L. BLEUTGE, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 2l0 167 

